


Prologue

by Descended_from_Hufflepuffs



Series: Malcolm Bright is a Forest-Dwelling Hippie [1]
Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Malcolm takes a camping trip and becomes a hippie, Now he's going to live in the woods, that's pretty much it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-15 14:28:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29190813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Descended_from_Hufflepuffs/pseuds/Descended_from_Hufflepuffs
Summary: Malcolm makes a decision. Everyone is a little concerned.
Relationships: Gil Arroyo & Malcolm Bright, Malcolm Bright & Ainsley Whitly, Malcolm Bright & Jessica Whitly
Series: Malcolm Bright is a Forest-Dwelling Hippie [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2143122
Kudos: 17





	Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by a conversation with a friend in which they posed the question: What if Malcolm looked like Jesus from the Walking Dead?

Malcolm Bright was accepted to Harvard University for a degree in criminal psychology. He planned to join the FBI and track down serial killers like his father.

Malcolm Bright left Harvard University with a double major in criminal psychology and theatre, several hours of wilderness survival training, and a deed to an acre of land in the mountains. He planned to live in a cabin there and live off the land.

No one could explain his near-sudden life change. One semester, he was regularly visiting Martin for his papers and worrying Jessica with his night terrors and missed therapy appointments. The next, he was taking regular excursions into the woods around campus and growing a viking beard. It didn't help that he never told anyone what changed.

If Gil had to make a guess, he would pin it on the project he completed for his Intro Environmental Science he took as an elective. It was a freeform project and no one was interested in being in a group with him so he decided experiencing the local environment first-hand would suffice. He spent a week camping in the woodsy area just off campus with as little modern influence as possible. “An experiment in unhindered scientific investigation” he called it. 

Gil still isn’t sure if he should understand what that meant.

He never expected Malcolm to just literally run off into the woods as soon as he could. Sure, he took a few survival courses and he went on a hunting trip with one of the scholarship kids that went to Harvard and managed to take down a deer but was that enough? Would Malcolm really be able to handle himself with a few firearms, a couple of knives, a field guide on poisonous plants, and a wildlife journal? Was it realistic for him to expect to mostly survive off the land and make rare trips into town for trivial things like soap and bandages? Was a satellite phone really the most reliable form of communication with the outside world? Did he get a fast enough internet service for what he wanted? Could he really gain sufficient financial income from running a podcast on living on the side of a mountain and a blog on criminal psych and true crime?

Regardless of Gil’s many, many, many concerns, he was happy to see Malcolm like this. In the ten years he’d known the boy, he’s never seen him so happy and sure of himself. And if anything went horribly wrong he could just call and be welcomed back into civilization with open arms.

Jessica was absolutely beside herself when she heard the news. “He’s gone off the deep end and become a hermit. My own son, an outcast.” Gil decided to refrain from mentioning that wasn’t too different from how he normally lived his life. She only calmed down when Malcolm’s therapist suggested it might be a good thing. Apparently running off to live in the woods was a good way for Malcolm to “exercise his autonomy”.

Ainsley, on the other hand, was rather excited. “My big brother’s finally thinking for himself. Do you think he’ll let us visit?” Gil was sure he would. Well, maybe if they called ahead first.

Martin…. Well, he wasn’t there when the news was delivered but judging by the way Jessica practically skipped around the house afterward, he guessed the good doctor wasn’t too pleased his son had willingly cut him off with little to no hope of returning.

Gil just wanted his kid to be alright.

“I told you, I’m fine. Everything’s set up, I checked the location myself before I even bought the place. I have all the proper licenses for hunting and fishing in every season, I’m pretty much just a phone call away. I’m not dropping off the face of the planet, I just need some space for myself.” It wasn’t the first time he’d heard this speech but it did little to soothe him. “Gil, it’ll be alright. And I promise if anything bad happens you can drive me back to regular civilization yourself. I just really need to do this.”

Gil sighed and started the car; he would be driving Malcolm on his first trip up at Jessica’s request. “I’m not gonna pretend I get it, city boy, but it’s your life. I just worry about you.”

“I know, I know. But I’ll be fine, really. And you know I’ll call if there’s any real trouble.”

“Right and real trouble is-”

“Broken bones, serious illness, lack of funds, or otherwise incapacitated,” Malcolm sighed, just like he did every time Gil made him repeat the list. “I’m going to live in the woods, not on deployment.”

“Let me worry about you, okay?”

“...Fine.”

Malcolm was adorable when he pouted. It wouldn’t do much for him if he ran into a bear or something equally dangerous but Gil promised not to think such thoughts. At least not for the next week. 

He just wanted his kid to be alright. Was that really too much to ask?


End file.
